Kim Ki-nam, party secretary of the Workers' Party of Korea, told crowds in Kim Il-sung Square that the satellite was "necessary for the building of our national economy".

"This is an international trend and the justified independent right of our people," he said. "Any hostile forces cannot cling to the insistence that our satellite launch is a ballistic missile launch any more."

Ro Gwang-chol, vice-chief of the general staff of the army, said that every soldier in the North celebrated the moment and "have been full of delight and strong emotions".

The official media carried much praise for the country's new leader. "This was achieved thanks to the Great Marshall Kim Jong-un's endless loyalty, bravery and wisdom," said Jang Chol, president of the State Academy of Sciences.

The rocket was launched from the North Korean coast early on Wednesday. South Korea says a fuel container was found where the first stage of the rocket separated.

Image caption
The first stage of the rocket fell in seas west of South Korea

"The Navy's Deep Submergence Rescue Vehicle retrieved the debris of the rocket's first stage at 00:26 and was delivering it to the Second Command Fleet in Pyeongtaek," Yonhap news agency quoted a defence ministry official as saying.

It would be "useful material for analysis", another ministry spokesman said.

On Friday a statement from North Korea's KCNA news agency said Kim Jong-un had called for more such launches.

North Korea "showed at home and abroad the unshakable stand... to exercise the country's legitimate right to use space for peaceful purposes", the KCNA statement quoted him as saying.

The US, meanwhile, said it was holding talks with key players on how to respond to the launch.

"We are working with both our six party partners and with our UN Security Council partners - China is in both of those categories - on a clear and credible response to what the North Koreans have done," State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland said.